8 Ways Moms Can Be More Productive (Even on the Hard Days)
8 Ways Moms Can Get Through the Hard Days
Momlife is hard, but what happens on the really tough days? It sometimes feels impossible. If you are feeling this way today, you are not alone. We all feel like this form time to time, and since this is such a popular feeling, I wanted to help out by providing some tips to make the hard days easier.
Crazy Times
I’m writing this right in the middle of shelter in place during Covid19. If you or your loved ones are faced with a loss of a loved one, diagnosed with Covid19, loss of income, job(s), etc.. I am so very sorry and you are in my thoughts.
I think a lot of us moms are dealing with a roller coaster of emotions. For many of us and our closest friends and family, we haven’t become sick with Covid19, but (hopefully) we are all taking the recommended precautions of shelter in place meaning; we are going a little crazy at home with all of our family members here…and life has just become a repeated hard day.
We love our family, but this is a lot. Teaching our kids, constantly cleaning, cooking, and responding to mom, mommy, mommmmmmm is hard. Some days I think this is totally fine, we are getting through this. Other days I am pulling my hair out and escaping for a drive or hiding in my closet. Sometimes both in the same day.
While I am 100% feeling the ups and downs of this roller coaster, I have been able to manage my anxiety by implementing some consistency in my life and controlling what I can. I wanted to share what I am doing in hopes it can help you too.
8 Ways to Get Through Hard Days as a Stay at Home Mom
1. Deep Breathing
Taking some deep breaths is an excellent way to bring yourself back into the moment and be in a better position to get through the days. Here are a few breathing techniques that work really well:
Equal Breathing Technique:
Take 3 big deep breaths. A deep breath in through your nose and a slow exhale through your nose. To focus even more on your breath cant to 4 has you inhale and count to 4 again as you exhale through your nose. Adjust the number count as needed to make it comfortable for you. This can be done literally anywhere, walking around the house, sitting on the toilet, watching tv…no excuses! 😉
4-7-8 Breathing Technique:
- Breath in through your nose for a count of 4
- Hold your breath for a count of 7
- Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds (make a whooshing sound as you exhale)
- Repeat up to 4 times
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2. Do a Brain Dump
You all know this is my favorite thing to do when I am feeling overwhelmed and anxious. All you need to do is write down EVERYTHING that is on your mind; things that need to get done, things you are thinking about, etc… You don’t need a fancy journal. You can use a basic notebook like this or get something fancier like this.
Another great option inline with a brain dump is Rachel Hollis’ Start Today notebook. According to the description on Target’s website; “This notebook is designed with three unique sections to help you cast your vision for all of the incredible goals you set out to accomplish. I hope that you use this tool to dream out loud, map out your greatest desires, achieve the results you want, and mostly just create some dang magic! This is more than just a notebook, it’s the start to manifesting the vision you have for yourself and the life of your dreams”. Sounds really cool to me!
3. Keep Routines and Schedules Going as Much as Possible
This is so so important. I know it may feel silly to get up, get dressed, go to bed at a reasonable time, etc.. but it will keep your days moving! I feel so much better when I wake up early, work on my blog, get changed into fancier pajamas 😉 aka leggings, take the dog for a walk, and get moving with the rest of my day. I still wake up around 5 and go to bed around 9. I know I do best when I keep my schedules and routines, and I bet you will too.
4. Do a Time Audit
If you don’t really know what you should be doing during the day now that there are far less distractions and to-do’s outside of the home, I encourage you to do a time audit. A few questions to ask yourself when creating a schedule…check out my time audit post on a detailed how-to.
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- What has to get done?
- What do you actually have time for?
- How can this all fit into your busy day?
5. Eat Well, Be Active, Prioritize Sleep
I don’t know about you but all I want to do is lay around and eat a bunch of junk food, drink Diet Coke and scroll Instagram and Tik Tok. In the moment (very quick moment) it makes me feel good. But, after doing this meal after meal, snack after snack, I feel like complete shit. When I am active and eating semi-healthy, I am a better person, mom, and wife. The same goes for my sleep, which is why I am keeping my sleeping schedule the same, 9pm-5am, Monday-Saturday and wakeup around 6 on Sundays.
6. Reach Out!
With social distancing, it’s so hard to feel that connection with friends and family, but we can be creative here and find ways to fill some of that void.
- Zoom/facetime calls
- Phone calls
- Social Distancing meet-ups (as you feel comfortable). We have had a few wine nights with our neighbors in the front yard and it’s been nice to be able to connect from a distance!
- Facebook Groups
7. Get a Hobby
Now is a perfect time to spend time on your interests or create new ones! Exercise, puzzles, cooking, gardening, blogging, whatever it may be, get to it! It will be a great time to kill some time and find some new hobbies you never knew you’d like!
8. Remember, This Is Temporary
We know this will not last forever. Maybe it’s going to last much longer than any of us would like, but it will not last forever. The same thing goes for difficult periods of life, summer break with the kids home, etc… Life has ups and downs, and right now it is down, but we can all get through it together. Hang in there momma.
The Best Planners and Journals to Help You Stay Organized
If you are looking for more help to stay organized, check out these well-known journals and planners people love when getting their life organized! They say the best planner is the one you will actually use, but it doesn’t hurt when they are pretty and functional 😉
Rachel Hollis Journals and Planners
The Future Is Yours by Rachel Hollis
Emily Ley Simplified Planners “At A Glance”
Related Articles to Improve Mindset and Get Through Hard Days
Final Thoughts on Getting Through Hard Days as A Mom
We all have been there, and maybe you are “there” at this very moment. Just know, you are not alone. When a hard day hits it can feel impossible to stick to your routine and schedules, causing even more stress and anxiety. When you are feeling this way, just refer back to my 8 tips to get through these difficult days and just do the best you can, because really…we are all just doing the best we can.
I absolutely love the 4-7-8 breath and practice it daily. It not only helps alleviate stress but often resolves my cold hands and feet.
That’s so cool it helps your cold hands and feet!